Moorcroft Carp Vase Value Guide

Designed by Sally Tuffin between 1988 and 1990, the Moorcroft Carp Vase is a premier example of late 20th-century British art pottery. Its desirability stems from the fluid, organic movement of the swimming carp and the labor-intensive tubelining technique that defines the Moorcroft legacy.

What Is Moorcroft Carp Vase Worth?

The typical price range for Moorcroft Carp Vase is $400 - $440 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Condition of the glaze, specifically the absence of crazing or chips which can diminish the $400-$440 valuation.
• The vibrancy and clarity of the multi-colored glazes used in the Carp pattern's execution.
• Market demand for Sally Tuffin designs from her specific tenure as design director.
• The precision and complexity of the hand-piped liquid clay tubelining across the vase surface.

How to Identify Moorcroft Carp Vase?

• Look for the distinctive raised slip-trailed tubelining that creates a textured, 'iced' effect on the carp scales and water ripples.
• Check for the impressed Moorcroft marks and potential designer initials for Sally Tuffin on the base of the glazed earthenware.
• Verify the bulbous shape and specific color palette characteristic of the late 1980s production era.
• Confirm the presence of the 'Made in England' stamp, consistent with its United Kingdom origin.

History of Moorcroft Carp Vase

Designed by Sally Tuffin during her tenure as design director at Moorcroft in the late 1980s, the Carp pattern is highly sought after for its fluid, organic lines and vibrant glazes. Moorcroft is world-renowned for its tubelining technique, a labor-intensive process where liquid clay is piped onto the surface like icing on a cake.